Press Conference with Tuvalu Prime Minister in Tamworth, 11 July 2024
RUSSELL WEBB, MAYOR OF TAMWORTH REGIONAL COUNCIL: Look, what a great day it is here to be here today with the Prime Minister of Tuvalu and our Minister Tim Ayres from the Federal Government. We're here to talk about the workers that are here in one of our meatworks, Thomas Foods. We've got about twenty-four of your islander workers here and they're supporting our industry, they're supporting the needs that we have in our community. We've got a lack of employment, of people to employ. You guys are coming here. You're doing what you're doing. We're so excited. We're so thankful that you're able to come and help us with what we need in our community, and we welcome you to our country, and we hope to see you here again.
I'd love to actually go to your place because it sounded like a pretty nice place to go. Tuvalu's really exciting. They get very involved in dancing and singing, just like Tamworth, but probably a slightly different singing and slightly different dancing, but it'd be great. And we certainly welcome you here to Tamworth and what a fantastic opportunity for us to actually not only meet each other but make friends. And of course, Minister Tim Ayres is here supporting the delegation and supporting the fact that your people, through the PALM scheme – the PALM scheme is something that is very active in the eastern seaboard, and we're bringing workers to our country to help us with our shortfall, in the – I guess, the shortfall in our workforce, and it's really good to have you here.
Great to have you here too, Minister Tim, because I think, without your support, we wouldn't be where we are.
SENATOR TIM AYRES, ASSISTANT MINISTER OF TRADE AND MANUFACTURING: Thank you. Thanks, Councillor Webb and the team from Tamworth City Council, Councillors here today. I really am delighted on behalf of the Australian Government to welcome Prime Minister Feleti here today. The relationship between Australia and Tuvalu is deep, and it is deeper still since the signing, a very short time ago, of the Tuvalu-Australia Falepili Union treaty, which goes to the most urgent issues for our two countries. Making sure that we're protecting the Blue Pacific from all of the challenges that face us, including the big number one challenge for Tuvalu of climate change, and Australian Government's role supporting the people of Tuvalu. Making sure we're protecting the sovereignty and security and self-determination of countries in the Pacific. You are so welcome here in Australia and particularly here in Tamworth.
Today, Prime Minister Feleti visited the meatworks here, Thomas Foods International, and met with workers from Tuvalu and had a good, long private discussion with them. We're delighted to facilitate that opportunity. I do want to say, of course, on a sad note, that while the PALM scheme provides so much support to these communities, the Australian Government is grieving, and we want to send our deepest condolences to the family of young Lemuel Silisia. A promising boxer who was working so hard to build his boxing career and working so hard here in Tamworth on behalf of the PALM scheme and, of course, the Solomon Islands.
The Solomon Islands should be so proud of his contribution. He was a sparkling young athlete who had the world in front of him. And we're deeply sad. I know that Minister Conroy issued a statement on behalf of the Australian Government saying that we will offer whatever support we can to the people of Tamworth and to the people of Solomon Islands after this terrible tragedy. And I know I join with the Prime Minister and his delegation in offering our deepest condolences. Thank you and welcome, Prime Minister.
FELETI TEO, PRIME MINISTER OF TUVALU: Thank you very much, Minister Tim. I'm very privileged for the opportunity to come to Tamworth. I've been in Australia since Tuesday, and I've gone to South Australia at Adelaide, where I met Foreign Affairs Minister Wong and also met the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Birmingham, who I just found out that both of them come from South Australia and Adelaide is their home city. And they were very keen for me to visit Adelaide, as they recently visited Tuvalu on a delegation from Australia that solidify the relationship that we've recently formed.
As Minister Tim said, there is a new treaty between Australia and Tuvalu that provides three major schemes, one of which is the migration pathway that allows Tuvaluans to migrate to Australia. The other scheme is the commitment by Australia to work cooperatively with Tuvalu, to assist Tuvalu address the major threat to Tuvalu's future existence, and that is the impact of climate change. As you know, Tuvalu is a tiny atoll island countries, most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. And the development assistance that we've been receiving from Australia in building our capability to adapt to the impact of climate change have certainly been most welcomed.
We also have, for the first time under the Falepili treaty, security guarantees that Australia has committed to come to the defence of Tuvalu in three circumstances. One, where Tuvalu is affected by a major natural disaster or a major health pandemic, like what we've recently experienced through the COVID pandemic. And of course, if Tuvalu has been subjected and threatened by a military aggressive situation, under those circumstances Tuvalu will be able to request Australia for assistance, and Australia under this arrangement will be legally obligated to come to the aid of Tuvalu, which is the first time since our independence 46 years ago for a country to be legally committed to come to the aid of Tuvalu.
So, that new arrangement has certainly elevated the relationship between Tuvalu and Australia to levels that have never been seen before. So, I'm very glad for the opportunity of the last few days to meet the Ministers that I've mentioned before. And tomorrow I'll be meeting the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. And of course we will be talking about the Falepili treaty. And there are also other development challenges that Tuvalu encounters which I will raise with the Prime Minister of Australia.
But for the moment, I'm very glad to be hosted by the Mayor of Tamworth, who will sing for us later this evening. This is my first visit to Tamworth, and I mentioned to the Minister and the Mayor that the first thing that I knew of Tamworth was the country music festival, which I'm glad to hear that's still continued. And it's pretty much part of the culture here in Tamworth. I had the opportunity just a couple of hours ago to visit Thomas Food International, and I'm wearing their cap and I'm sure they were very happy that I'm advertising their operation, but they've been very kind to our workers. There are about twenty-four Tuvaluans that work here.
The PALM scheme has been around for a few years now. It provides an opportunity for some of the Pacific Island countries, especially in our case, where we have limited employment opportunities. And the scheme has provided an opportunity for them to come and work in Australia. But more importantly, the remittances that they send back to Tuvalu not only help the economy of Tuvalu, but also help directly their families and their relatives in terms of meeting their basic needs.
AYRES: Thank you. We’ve got time for two or three questions only, because as you can see, the smoking ceremony’s started, and we want to make sure we do that properly.
SPEAKER: Mister Prime Minister, you've met with some workers earlier today. What has their feedback been about the scheme? Are they enjoying their time here in Tamworth?
TEO: They enjoyed their time very well. Even the employers have commended them highly. So, I had to thank them on behalf of the Government of Tuvalu. They do, of course, have some minor issues. Some of them are married, their families are not here. So, the Tuvalu Government, with the Australian Government, are working on arrangements where they can quickly bring their families to be with them while they are working here. But generally, they are quite content with their conditions of employment. So, I am also happy and very proud of them.
AYRES: One question here and then –
SPEAKER: Is the scheme being extended at all? Will we be seeing more workers come out to Tamworth?
AYRES: Well, this is very important. We're absolutely delighted that the Prime Minister of Tuvalu has come himself directly to meet with participants in the scheme. The Australian Government understands the importance of this scheme for states in the Pacific. We understand its importance for Tuvalu. We are always looking and assessing the scheme to make sure that it is providing real benefit for the peoples of the Pacific and real benefits for country communities like Tamworth. It is obviously of deep economic importance, but it's also of deep cultural and sporting importance for each of these towns. So, we're watching closely, we're listening to Pacific leaders, and we're going to keep a focus on this scheme.
SPEAKER: And finally, Prime Minister, we know that Tuvalu is only a few metres above sea level, and the future of your country is still very much up in the air. Do you think that with what the Australian Government has been doing, as well as changes to their climate change policy, that Tuvalu might have - might have a future? For you and your people?
TEO: Absolutely. I mean, as you know, there are countries that claim that they are at the front line of the impact of climate change. But I think Tuvalu is in the front line of those frontline countries. We will be the first country to be impacted by the effect of climate change. The most unfortunate thing is that Tuvalu contributes so minimally to climate change, but we will face the brunt of the impact of climate change.
But the solution to climate change does not rest with Tuvalu. It has to be a global collective effort. And I'm very grateful to partners like Australia and other partners in providing the relevant development resources so that we are able to build up our resilience against the impact of climate change.
One of the major projects that is ongoing in Tuvalu is the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project. And Australia has already committed $40 million, $38 million, to be exact, to assist us reclaim land and build up our resilience against the impact of climate change, especially sea level rise, because the sea level rise will only have to increase a few metres and then the countries will be totally inundated by tidal surges.
AYRES: Thank you. Thank you very much.
ENDS.
